Even With Perfect Conditions, Tiger Woods' Game Was Not Perfect

TURNBERRY, Scotland -- The wind didn't blow, the conditions didn't matter. Old guys were scoring low. Everyone was making birdies Thursday in the first round of the British Open.

Except for Tiger Woods.

Woods shot a 1-over, 71, meaning he won't finish the day in the top-60.

Just one day, yes. So don't draw any conclusions. He has plenty of time, still, to win the Open. But it's at least a warning when Woods' shots are going all over the place in perfect scoring conditions.

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"Unfortunately, on the range, my misses were to the right,'' he said.

"And I tried not to miss it to the right on 3. Consequently, I hit it left.''

Same thing at No. 16.

"I hit a 5-iron,'' he said. "I was trying to play about 20 feet left of the hole, and the ball landed about 15 feet right of the hole. Not a very good shot.''

Does that sound familiar to anyone else?

Doesn't Tiger Woods know where the ball is going?

Woods is still going to be the betting-favorite here, seven strokes behind leader Miguel Angel Jimenez. But he needs this win after falling apart at the end in the Masters, and then falling way back early at the U.S. Open.

He has won three tournaments since returning early this year from reconstructive knee surgery, and has several top-10 finishes. But while he never would say so, he's still not comfortable with his swing. He's just good enough to win non-majors anyway.

And he's 33 now, with a receding hairline. And he'd better start chipping away at Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major titles. Woods has 14.

The thing is, it's time now. At the Masters, well, he hadn't been back long, was still recovering. At the U.S. Open, he had amazing bad luck, as half the field, his half, just kept getting the bad weather.

Reasons or excuses?

"I'll go on the range right now and work on it for a little bit,'' he said just after his round. "And hopefully I can hit it a little bit better this afternoon and get ready tomorrow.''

He'll have a run in him. He always does.

But on Thursday, he had four bogeys, including one at No. 16, where he hit into a burn (stream).

They call that hole Wee Burn.

Woods was the hot ticket Thursday, as always, but this time, he was playing with Japanese phenom Ryo Ishikawa, who's 17. Lee Westwood was with them, too. They both shot 2-under.

Woods finished last in his group.

"Really very nervous to play with Tiger and Lee,'' Ishakawa said.

"But it is important to play my golf, my best golf. The course is different to what I am used to in Japan. I hope I make the cut.''

Make the cut? He's three strokes ahead of Woods.

One round. Just one round.

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Latest British Open Photos

Tom Watson of the U.S. acknowledges the crowd on the 17th green during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Turnberry Golf Club in Scotland, July 16, 2009. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh (BRITAIN SPORT GOLF IMAGES OF THE DAY)

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Swedish golfer Fredrik Jacobson watches his drive on the 17th tee on the first day of the 138th British Open Championship at Turnberry Golf Course in south west Scotland, on July 16, 2009. AFP PHOTO/Adrian Dennis (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

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Francesco Molinari of Italy plays a shot from the rough on the 17th hole during the first round of the British Open Golf Championship at the Turnberry Golf Club in Scotland, July 16, 2009. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne (BRITAIN SPORT GOLF)

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US golfer Hunter Mahan watches his drive on the 15th tee on the first day of the 138th British Open Championship at Turnberry Golf Course in south west Scotland, on July 16, 2009. AFP PHOTO/Glyn Kirk (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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US golfer Anthony Kim stands on the 15th tee, on the first day of the 138th British Open Championship at Turnberry Golf Course in south west Scotland, on July 16, 2009. AFP PHOTO/Glyn Kirk (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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French golfer Thomas Levet putts on the 8th green with the island of Ailsa Craig in the background, on the first day of the 138th British Open Championship at Turnberry Golf Course in south west Scotland, on July 16, 2009. AFP PHOTO/Glyn Kirk (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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French golfer Thomas Levet lines up his putt on the 8th green with the island of Ailsa Craig in the background, on the first day of the 138th British Open Championship at Turnberry Golf Course in south west Scotland, on July 16, 2009. AFP PHOTO/Glyn Kirk (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)

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Italian golfer Francesco Molinari plays out of the rough on the 17th hole on the first day of the 138th British Open Championship at Turnberry Golf Course in south west Scotland, on July 16, 2009. AFP PHOTO/Adrian Dennis (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

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